Aspects of the invention are generally related to data storage, and more particularly to networked data storage systems. An enterprise data storage array such as an EMC Symmetrix® VMAX Storage Array can be used by an organization to maintain availability and protection of large amounts of data. Such storage arrays provide integrated features for maintaining data availability and protecting data from loss. These storage arrays are energy efficient, have a relatively small footprint, and can be scaled in terms of storage capacity. However, they cannot presently be scaled infinitely. Some very large organizations which require infinitely scalable data storage utilize stacks of networked “plain vanilla” servers which are equipped with data storage devices. While such architectures help meet the scalability requirement, they also tend to be inefficient in terms of physical space and energy usage. Moreover, the servers do not provide enterprise level data protection and availability. Relatively simplistic data protection features may be implemented at the application layer using external devices but such systems do not provide functionality and performance equivalent to an enterprise storage array.